


Man-Love Bites!

by venusinthenight



Category: Ashes to Ashes, Life on Mars (UK)
Genre: Angst, Gen, Jealousy, Sexuality, Unrequited Love, does not follow canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-10
Updated: 2011-04-10
Packaged: 2017-10-17 20:47:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 705
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/181028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/venusinthenight/pseuds/venusinthenight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>Ray Carling faces up to a difficult personal truth (inspired by the following quote from his 'Police Notes' on the BBC A2A website: 'never seems to have a girlfriend but boasts incessantly about his sexual conquests usually involving twins or triplets.')</i> (prompt by wyvernchick on LJ)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Man-Love Bites!

**Author's Note:**

  * For [wyvernchick](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=wyvernchick).



> Mentions of Chris/Shaz and Sam/Annie. Set between A2A Series 2 and 3 and ignores S3 canon, as it was completed before Series 3 premiered.
> 
> This quote, on the BBC A2A website, from Dean Andrews (who played Ray) also got me thinking a wee bit -- "...[Ray is] maybe even a little bit jealous of what [Chris and Shaz] have…".

It was a breezy, crisp autumn evening at Ray's flat, not to mention another lonely one. He was hoping to shoot the breeze and down a few pints with Chris at Luigi's, but unfortunately, for him, Chris was off on yet another date with Shaz.  _Shite_ , he thought.  _Why the bloody hell does he have to spend almost all his free time with her?_ Sure, Chris and Shaz were to be married soon, as soon as Alex was out of hospital, but that didn't mean the two of them had to spend every other non-waking moment together, did they?  _What about me?_

As the DS lit up yet another cigarette -- at least his fourth upon coming home, and maybe his twentieth since going to work that morning -- and snagged a bottle of lager from his fridge, he thought about how, in some cases, it was a hell of a lot better back in Manchester. It was just him, Chris, and the Guv -- the three Armed Bastards against anyone and everyone who came in their path to try to cock things up on their turf. But then there was Sam. Even more hatred oozed out of Ray as he took yet another drag from his cigarette. That little blonde sod came in from Hyde and stole everyone's thunder. The Guv became very fond of the git; Chris idolized him, too. And then there was Annie. Sam practically worshipped her until his dying day.

Dammit. Sam got a girl. Chris got one, too. Even the Guv had been married once upon a time.

Then Ray remembered Gaynor...or was it George? Mason. As Gaynor, she was strangely attractive, even if she was a baddie in her life as George. But then...even when she was George, she -- he? -- was a very handsome bloke. At the time, Ray was repulsed. Changing sex? That was just...all sorts of repulsive then; one would have to be very daft to do such a thing! However, he couldn't help but go back to that night he saw her, then the picture of her as a man...

After another swig of lager, and a bout of goosepimples, Ray had experienced a small epiphany. It wasn't exactly a very welcome one, either, but it was one he had been surpressing for quite a long time. He knew those sexual conquests with buxom blonde twins and toothpick-legged brunette triplets he often lauded about were only figments of his imagination, conjured up after extended, private sessions with himself, a Magic Wand, and all that gent's "literature" he would swipe from the Guv in an attempt to prove -- mainly to himself -- that he wasn't one of those "nancy boys", that he was as masculine as the Guv and a damn sight more rugged than Sam and Chris combined. He was also somewhat aware that very few in CID were buying what he was trying to sell to them. However, coming face to face with his realization was an even worse pill to swallow.

A bit twitchy, even after a beer, Ray left his flat and got in the car for a drive. This wasn't something he would be want to do most evenings, jump in his car and take off, but there was a reason behind it. He knew exactly where he was going and, nearly half an hour later, he was there -- a very rudimentary apartment complex that was a bit more modern than where Ray lived, not to mention a bit closer to work, and heaven only knew what the rent was.  _Lucky sod_.

He knew he'd truly never have his best mate all to himself anymore. That, Ray conceded, was quite painful. What really was a knife through the heart, however, was that Chris would never know all this -- especially how much Ray loved him. How he truly loved him with every fibre of his steely, chainsmoking, leather-jacket-and-turtleneck-wearing being, as much as Chris adored Shaz...maybe even more so. How tempted he was to convince him to call off this wedding nonsense. But the damage was done. Even more bitter and jaded than he was when he left his flat, Ray drove off again. He needed a few more pints. And some fags.


End file.
